Adidas Creates Sneakers Out Of Ocean Trash And Illegal Deep-Sea Nets

Adidas is well-known for its awesome collaborations, but this latest one is probably the most important yet.

This week, the sports apparel giant announced its partnership with environmental organization Parley for the Oceans. Together, they have created a prototype sneaker made almost entirely out of recycled garbage from the ocean.

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We are extremely proud that Adidas is joining us in this mission and is putting its creative force behind this partnership to show that it is possible to turn ocean plastic into something cool, Cyrill Gutsch, founder of Parley for the Oceans, said.

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Indeed, the collaboration has created a thing of beauty with a base made entirely out of sustainable materials to provide cushioning.

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Even more impressive is that the upper shoe is made entirely of illegal deep-sea gillnets, as well as yarns and filaments all reclaimed from the ocean and recycled.

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The nets were retrieved by Sea Shepherd, a Parley for the Oceans partner, after a 110-day expedition in which they tracked an illegal fishing vessel off the West African coast.

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While the shoe is currently not for sale, an Adidas spokeswoman has confirmed that the company will start incorporating recycled material into its shoes starting next year.

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Adidas has long been a leader in sustainability, but this partnership allows us to tap into new areas and create innovative materials and products for our athletes. We invite everyone to join us on this journey to clean up the oceans, Eric Liedtke of Adidas said.